Article

From the horse’s mouth

Kenwood USA

My Comments

Pioneer had introduced aftermarket car stereo units that work with both Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. But there were issues with providing a smooth switchover between the two operating environments, which is an issue with households where different members have different smartphone platforms.

Now Kenwood released a pair of double-DIN car head units that can switch between these platforms without the need to perform awkward operation steps like visiting the configuration menu. Most likely this depends on what smartphone is actually connected to the car stereo rather than what the car stereo is actually set up for.

Both of these systems are DVD receivers which have the double-DIN form factor to accommodate the large 6.95” screen and pick up HD Radio stations on the AM and FM bands. They have support for Bluetooth operation with the common profiles and can work alongside any smartphone for Spotify, iHeartRadio and Aupeo.

They have internal amplifiers which work to 22w for each of the four speakers and have pre-out connections for the front speakers, the rear speakers and a subwoofer which means that they could work with a car sound system that has the full street cred. They would cost a fair bit of money with the DDX99025 costing US$950 and the DDX97025 costing US$900, but would please those young males who place value on their car as something to impress.

What it at leas shows is the arrival of a contingent of car multimedia equipment that does have native support for both Android Auto and Apple CarPlay in a manner that can be applied to existing vehicles.